Join us for municipal utility leadership workshop next week: To further support efforts to develop the next generation of municipal utility leaders, MEUW is holding a workshop that explores 10 skills essential for leadership — empathy, communications, teamwork, problem-solving, time management, attitude, adaptability, ability to learn, confidence, and networking — and how today’s leaders can leverage those skills to deliver results. Discussions at the one-day “Pathways to Leadership” workshop on Thursday, April 7, will benefit municipal utility leaders of all experience levels, including those who may be new to their role, those in line for leadership, and those who already have extensive experience and simply want to learn from others responsible for similar work. Full details are available here.
Series of Customer Service Roundtable sessions kickoff next week: MEUW has a tradition of bringing together member utilities to exchange ideas and information with their peers. While the pandemic disrupted these springtime gatherings over the last couple of years, the Customer Service Roundtables are returning to the calendar in April. The Roundtables are free, and lunch is provided. A total of seven sessions are planned — in Cumberland, Evansville, Hartford, Kaukauna, Waunakee, Wisconsin Rapids, and Wonewoc — making it convenient for members to attend a session nearest to them. Full details and registration info are here.
Friday is deadline to nominate individuals for MEUW awards: Throughout our 93-year history, MEUW has proudly recognized individual contributions and achievements toward advancing public power through awards presented at the Annual Conference. We are currently accepting nominations in a number of categories. Full details are available at MEUW.org/awards. To nominate someone from your utility or community, please complete the nomination form and submit it by April 1. Awards will be presented during a breakfast ceremony at MEUW’s Annual Conference on May 12.
Upcoming workshops focus on underground and overhead line work: MEUW is holding two separate hands-on training sessions next month to enable lineworkers to fine-tune their skills and deepen their knowledge.
- Underground School will take place April 21-22 at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (SWTC) in Fennimore.
- Overhead Rubber Gloving School will take place April 28-29 at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) in Green Bay.
Each of the workshops provides targeted training for all lineworkers, regardless of experience level or equipment. Participants will rotate through a series of workstations to safely practice different procedures and receive feedback. The cost for each workshop is $255 per person, with discounts available for multiple attendees from the same utility. Look for details at MEUW.org. Questions should be directed to Randy Larson at (715) 559-7542.
Register now for April 21 Excavation Competent Person workshop: A one-day, in-person workshop to learn the safety aspects of excavation and trenching and to understand protective systems and shoring options is planned for Thursday, April 21, in Chetek. The session will be conducted by Tim Palet, an instructor who brings decades of knowledge and experience. Upon completion, attendees will be certified as Competent Persons according to OSHA standards. Registration details are here.
Nomination period for MEUW Board of Directors now open: MEUW is currently accepting nominations for interested individuals to serve on the association’s Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning May 13, 2022. This year’s election will be for Directors and Alternate Directors in even-numbered districts. The Nomination Form and additional information is available here. The deadline to nominate someone is Friday, April 15.
Data collection underway for annual Wage & Benefits Survey: Every year, MEUW collects information about the pay and perks provided to public power employees across the state. Based on member feedback, this year’s data collection began early, to allow for the results to be shared in time for municipal budgeting. Instructions for completing this year’s survey were recently shared with key contacts at each utility. Full details about this year’s Wage & Benefits Survey are available here. As a reminder, only those utilities that provide information for the survey are able to receive the results. The deadline to respond is April 8.
Send us pics of your line crews: National Lineman Appreciation Day is coming up on April 18, and we’re getting ready to shower a little gratitude on those who put their talents to work as electrical line workers. Together, MEUW member utilities employ more than 300 linemen across Wisconsin, and we plan to use our website and social media pages to recognize those hard-working folks. We’re asking all member utilities to send in a photo of their line crews so we can post and share them next month. Send the pictures to news@meuw.org and help us recognize Wisconsin’s public power lineworkers.